You Don't Believe in Just One Guy, One Girl?
by RzPz922
Summary: A collection of fluffy oneshots focusing around the Breakfast Club revolving mainly around Brian trying to escape his family. Poly Breakfast Club. Rated T for drugs, cursing, mentions of abuse, and a bit of sex. Reviews are much appreciated!
1. Chapter 1

Brian was supposed to be studying for tomorrow's Biology test, but instead he was sitting in front of his phone waiting for any one of four specific people to call. His father was working late, his mother was out for the night, and his sister was asleep, so he was on the honor system to have all his homework done. He'd finished it earlier and he'd been studying all weekend, so he felt he deserved a night on the phone with his friends. Just as long as the ring didn't wake his sister. She would tell on him for sur. Hopefully neither of his parents would come home early, either. Doubts started to fill Brian's head up to the brim and over, bouncing around his skull. Maybe he should just go up to his room, study, and ignore the phone if it rang. There was too much at risk. What if he failed the test tomorrow because he went one night without studying? What if the school called his parents and he got grounded? Was one group phone call worth two months without seeing them?

Suddenly the phone rang and Brian was forced to make his choice. Ignore the call and study? Or take the call and risk getting grounded? Brian took a slow, shaky breath in, then grabbed for the phone, fumbling with it before finally answering.

"Hello, Johnson house, Brian speaking," He recited the greeting his mother taught him, voice shaking.

"What is this, a hotel?" John Bender's snarky voice came from the other end.

"Well, I don't have your numbers memorized, and my mom always calls to check on me when I'm home alone, a-and since I didn't know who was calling-" Brian stammered.

"Relax, dipshit. I was worried you weren't gonna pick up, you took so long." Bender spoke through clenched teeth, probably lighting a cigarette.

The pit of Brian's nervous stomach filled up with jealousy. He wished he could be with Bender, so he could smoke, too. His hands were still trembling from worry it would be his mother on the other line. He had gone all weekend in need of a smoke to ease his nerves. Maybe he'd head out early tomorrow, meet Bender by the bleachers, get some cannabis in his lungs before the test.

"Sorry." He said finally. "Any idea when the others will call?"

"Cherry should be on in a minute. Sporto, too."

"And Allison?"

"Nobody knows with Klepto. She'll sneak her way into one of our houses for all I know."

Brian smiled. Good thing Andy wasn't on the line yet. He hated when Bender called Allison "Klepto". She didn't mind it, though. She thought it was funny. The phone beeped, alerting both Briand and Bender of a new caller. Brian pressed the accept button and Claire's cheerful voice came over the phone.

"Hey guys!" She said.

"Cherry," Bender coughed.

"Hi, Claire."

"How're two of my favorite boys doing tonight?"

Brian's cheeks flushed and he grinned into the receiver. He was glad they were just talking on the phone and not hanging out in person, so the others couldn't see his face. Bender scoffed.

"Oh, everything's just great, Princess." He said. "Just another _stupendous_ day at the old Bender house."

Claire's grip on her phone tightened ever-so-slightly. She chewed on her lip. He was using that Sarcastic Cheerful voice he used when his father hit him. He used that voice as an attempt to bring a bit of light to his situation, but unconsciously he really wanted comfort. Claire could tell. She cleared her throat softly.

"Are you okay?" She asked timidly.

"Don't fucking patronize me, Cherry." Bender snorted. "Unless you feel like getting the shit kicked out of you I'd suggest staying in your room with your silk blankets"

"Yeah, that doesn't sound very logical. I think it's best we leave Bender to take care of himself." Brian spoke quietly.

The line was silent for a minute, save for Bender's soft laughter. _Oh sure,_ he thought. _I'll take care of myself, Bri, as soon as you learn to do the same._

The silence was broken by another beep and suddenly Allison was on the line.

"Hey, losers." She greeted.

Claire, Brian, and Bender seemed to let out sighs, grateful for the distraction Allison brought.

"How's shit, Klepto?" Bender asked.

Allison made a shrugging noise. Her teeth chattered softly behind her lips and she zipped up her parka.

"Where's Andy?" Claire asked.

"Oh, he's with me! We're out in my dad's van with his rotary phone, driving around town. Say hi, Andy!" Allison passed the phone to the shivering wrestler. He had on a hoodie and was wrapped in an old blanket they'd found in the back, but he was still cold.

"Hey guys."

"Oh, I'm wounded!" Bender cried, grabbing his chest dramatically. "You're together without _us!_ Sex was supposed to be a _group_ thing, you two!"

Brian gagged.

"Well, I mean we're already out driving around. We could come get you guys." Andy suggested, glancing at Allison. She nodded enthusiastically.

"Wait, really?" Claire was shocked.

Allison took the phone back. "Yeah, that sounds pretty nice to me."

"Brian? What do you think?" Claire asked.

Brian was silent. The doubts had flooded his head again. They bounced and rattled, filling his ears with noise. His breathing started to speed up a bit and his stomach turned backflips. What if his sister woke up while he was leaving? What if one of his parents pulled into the driveway and caught him? Were they going to sleep in the van? What if they overslept and he missed his Biology test? What if they all caught pneumonia and died?

"Brian?" Claire asked again. "Brian, hon, are you okay?"

"Nope!" He cried suddenly. "Sorry, fellas, I'm going to have to pass on this one!"

"Oh, Brian, come on!" Allison coaxed. "It won't be as fun without you!"

"Look, I love you guys, but I'll get in so much trouble if I do this. I'm already risking so much just being on the phone with you."

Allison sat for a minute, trying to figure out what she could say so Brian would join them. Before she could figure anything out, though, Bender started talking.

"You've gotta rebel some time, dweeb. Might as well start now."

Allison handed the phone back to Andy and started driving in the direction of Bender's house.

"Well, I have test tomorrow and-" Brian started.

"Oh, a test! Of course! What for?"

"...Biology."

"Fuck Biology. Come freeze your balls off with us."

"I-I'm already failing one class... I can't fail another."

"How long have you studied for this test?"

"Like, collectively, or...?"

"How fucking long, Brian?"

"An hour each night since Monday."

"You're not going to fail. Even if you do, one lousy test won't make you fail the whole damn class. Your precious grade-point average will be fine."

Brian sat for a minute. Claire chewed her lip, waiting anxiously for his answer.

"This is your last chance, Brian." Andy coaxed. "You can come with us, or hang up and go to bed. It's your choice."

Brian held the phone away from his face. The other could hear him mumbling to himself. In the meantime. Allison pulled up at the curb in front of Bender's house and honked. He was standing in the doorway, the cord of a phone stretched through the house, smoking. He hung up when he saw the van, though, and climbed in. The back seats had been pulled out, so he sat on the floor. Andy climbed from his seat and sat beside him.

"Hey." He said.

Andy wrapped half the blanket over Bender's shoulders, despite the disdainful look he was shot.

"What? Do you _want_ to freeze your ass off?" Andy asked, starting to pull the blanket back.

Bender huffed and accepted the blanket, scooting slightly closer to Andy. In the driver's seat, Allison made a U-turn and Andy dug his palms into the floor to keep himself from flying across the back of the van. Bender grabbed onto his arm for the same reason. As allison swerved down the street Bender fell directly into the other boy's arms. A second later Allison got back to driving straight. Andy and Bender were left holding tightly onto each other. They slowly made eye contact. Andy smirked, and Bender shoved away from him. Andy started laughing.

"Shut up, fag." Bender huffed, crossing his arms and turning away.

"None of us are straight, John." Allison called from the front. "Nobody's gonna judge you."

"All of us are fags." Bender scratched at his forearm angrily.

Andy studied him nervously before taking his arm and gently pushing his sleeve up. Bender flinched, but didn't protest. Dotted about his forearms were bruised cigarette burns and scratches crusted with dried blood.

"Dude," He said. "We need to clean these."

"Whatever. That's what you get when your dad finds out you're a queer."

Andy looked around the van for the rotary phone, only to find that Allison had it.

"How long's he been off the line?" She was asking.

"I think he hung up around five minutes ago." Claire sighed. "I don't think he's going to come with us."

"I'll go by his house anyway, just in case."

"Ally, tell Claire to grab a first aid kid on her way out." Andy said.

Allison relayed the message and Claire agreed. They continued to talk until the van pulled up in front of Claire's house. She came out around the back door with an armful of blankets as well as a first aid kid. She climbed into the van, stopping immediately when she saw the injuries on Bender's arms. She ran and dropped to her knees beside him and Andy and threw open the first aid kid.

"Oh, John..." She murmured. "What happened?"

"His dad found out," Allison had approached so softly nobody had noticed until she spoke. She took Bender's arms from Andy.

Claire dipped a white rag in iodine while Allison gently kissed every wound on Bender's arms. Andy wrapped the blanket around his shoulders. There was a scowl permanently etched onto his face, but secretly he was grateful. No one had ever shown him such care before, and now he had three people caring for him all at the same time.

They'd finished dressing Bender's wounds in time, and Allison was back on the road to Brian's house. Brian didn't live too far from Claire, so it didn't take them to long to get there. Allison parked in front of the house and honked. Bender snorted.

"Green, perfectly cut lawn... pristine white fence... even the mailbox is spotless... Yep. Just how I pictured it." He remarked.

Inside, Brian sat with his head in his hands. He heard Allison honking. The whole neighborhood probably could. _C'mon, idiot. They're waiting for you._ He thought. _Are you going to be a puppet for your parents all your life?_ He smacked himself and got to his feet. He walked slowly to the coat rack and pulled on his coat. He opened the door, stepped outside into the night, and closed it behind him. He took a deep breath. In... and out. He made a break for the van without looking back.

 _No._ He thought. _I'm not._


	2. Chapter 2

Bender woke up first, when the morning sunlight spilled through the windshield and into his eyes. He was leaned up against the back corner of Allison's van, his neck bent at an angle and his cheek pressed against the top of Andy's head. He lifted his head up and cracked the crick out of his neck. It was dim in the back of the van, but there was enough sunlight to see a few feet on either side. Bender noticed Claire was curled up on his left side, her head resting in the crook of his arm. She snored softly. Andy was on his other side, drooling on his shoulder. Brian slept with his knees pulled up tight into his chest, using Bender's stomach as a pillow, and Allison lay sprawled out across his legs. Bender sighed. His back hurt and he really needed to stretch, but having for people napping on top of you is like when there's a cat sitting on your lap. No matter what, even if your house is burning down, _you do not get up._ Nothing is worth betraying the trust of a cat. The same goes with people sleeping on you. So Bender got comfortable, because until at least Brian and Allison were up, he wasn't going anywhere.

Not too much time passed before Brian was woken up by a loud cough. He rubbed his eyes, yawned, and sat up. He was calm for half a second before he realized where he was. There was a fluffy brown blanket draped over his lap and a pillow under his rear. He remembered he was in the back of Allison's van, and there was sunlight shining in through the front windows. He flung the blanket away and leapt to his feet, running towards the driver's seat.

"Oh my God, what time is it?" He cried.

"School hasn't started yet, dweeb, you're fine." Bender replied from the back corner. "Come get the basket case off my legs."

Brian lifted Allison off Bender's legs, careful not to wake her. Bender pushed Claire and Andy from his sides, stood up, and set them back down. Allison yawned and opened her eyes. Brian pulled her all the way to her feet.

"Morning, losers," She yawned.

"Care to join us for a smoke, Klepto?" Bender asked, stretching his back.

"Nah," Allison sat back down. "You have fun."

Bender shrugged, pulling a lighter and a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He pulled open the back door, grabbed Brian, and stepped out of the van. Allison, not wanting to sit by herself, crawled across the floor and snuggled up next to the still fast-asleep Claire.

"What are we gonna do in the future, Bender?" Brian sat on one of the bottom bleachers of the football field, smoke evaporating from his mouth. "I doubt any of our parents would approve of polygamy. I don't think it's even legal."

"You're the smart one." Bender reminded him. "You figure it out."

"Well, there's five of us, so I guess two pairs will marry legally, one of us will appear single, and we'll all live together." Brian tugged on his shirt sleeve. "You'll probably marry Claire, and Allison will marry Andy."

"What if I don't want to marry Claire?"

"Allison, then. She'd seem more likely than Claire, anyway."

"And what if I wanted to marry you?"

Brian was silent for a minute. Then burst into laughter. Bender smirked, cigarette clenched in his teeth. Brian caught his breath after a minute and scratched his nose.

"Get real, man. Nobody wants to marry me."

"All of us wanted to _date_ you, dipshit." Bender retorted. "You saying we made a bad choice?"

"I mean legally. Who'd want to be legally tied to Brian Johnson for the rest of their life? I don't even want to _be_ Brian Johnson."

"Then whoever you marry, you take their last name. You've got plenty to choose from."

Brian sifted through the names in his head. _Brian Standish. Brian Reynolds. Brian Clark. Brian Bender._ They all sounded leagues better than Johnson, anyway. He sighed, letting out another puff of smoke. He looked down at the frost on the grass. He could see his breath rise and evaporate when he exhaled. It wasn't too cold, but it was cold enough. He scratched his nose.

"I hate my family," He muttered, the slightest twinge of a laugh hanging from his voice.

"Yeah, you've already joined that club." Bender scoffed.

"You know what my mom said when they found the flare gun in my locker?" He didn't look up. "She said, 'I can't believe you'd even consider ruining our chance to get into Stanford.' I wanted to kill myself and she was just worried I'd get expelled from school."

He smiled after a minute. He'd been brainwashed by his parents for so long that he'd agreed with his mom at first. He'd been stupid and selfish to even _think_ about using that flare gun, right? Who was he to deny his family their connection to Stanford? They'd have nothing to brag about if he got expelled, and they'd _certainly_ have nothing to brag about if he was dead. He deserved every ounce of punishment he got, right? Well, after that day in detention, something just kind of snapped inside of him. It was like the brainwashing had almost been switched of. In those next few months, Brian started to detect all the bullshit his parents had exposed him too all his life. He felt like his brain had really been turned on for the first time in his life.

"They wouldn't even miss me if I was gone..." Brian laughed, but tears still filled his eyes.

Suddenly he felt Bender's hand on his arm and he was yanked into the other boy's side.

"Shut the fuck up, you dipshit." He ordered. "We'd miss you."

Brian smiled softly and rested his head on Bender's shoulder, tears falling freely from his eyes. Bender kissed the side of Brian's forehead, then quickly turned away.

Meanwhile, back in the van, Claire woke up with her arms wrapped around Allison and her cheek pressed against Andy's shoulder. Feeling her stirring, Allison sat back up. She kept her hand folded in Claire's, not wanting to break contact. Claire sat up and the two girls stood together. They glanced back at Andy.

"Should we wake him?" Claire asked.

"No. He's got this internal clock. He'll wake up fine on his own." Allison pulled one of the blankets over him.

The girls stepped out of the van together and went into the school. They each retrieved their things from their respective lockers, never breaking contact. Even when the first bell rang and the halls were overrun with their peers, they kept their hands entwined and walked to their first hour class together. A small group of cheerleaders Claire once called friends filed into the classroom together, regarded the girls, and began whispering amongst themselves.

"Look at the dykes," One girl whispered.

Another girl, Jenna, who'd remained supportive of Claire's new friends, sat behind them and tapped Claire lightly on the shoulder.

"Yes?" Claire turned.

"Are you trying to like, make a statement, or something?" Jenna asked softly.

"No,"

"Well, um... You might still want to be a little less obvious about..." Jenna gestured to Allison. "All this."

Allison bit down on her lip and, letting go of Claire's hand, moved to a seat in the back. Claire watched her go, quickly trying to think of something to say, and glared at Jenna.

"What the hell was that for?" She demanded.

Jenna stared at the floor. The cheerleaders continued to giggle at Allison's expense. Claire felt her heart sink into her stomach. Bender had been right; she still had no backbone. These girls weren't even her friends anymore, why couldn't she stand up to them? Why couldn't she tell them it was none of their business who she held hands with? Of course, Claire knew the answer already. Defending your friends was one thing. Defending your girlfriend was a whole other ballgame, especially when you're a girl dating another girl. Hell, they probably would have take better to the three boyfriends than Claire fucking Standish holding hands with a _girl_ in the hallway. Claire sighed and stiffened her back, trying not to cry.

At the back of the class, Allison had pulled up the hood of her parka and was nibbling on her fingernails. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. She knew she shouldn't be mad at Claire, but she couldn't help it. Claire hadn't even done anything wrong. She'd held Allison's hand even when they were being laughed at. It was Allison who'd let go, not Claire. There was no reason to be mad, and yet, she was fuming. What could either of them have done anyway? Gay guys were ridiculed and shamed, but gay girls? They weren't even heard of. Allison pulled her hood down over her eyes.

When the period ended, Claire tried to wait for Allison only to be pushed past by the girl in question. Claire tried to chase after her, but she weaved through the crowd too fast. Both caught sight of Andy staggering sleepily through the front entrance. Allison made it to him first and slipped into his arms. Claire sighed, hung her head in shame, and continued towards her next class.

"What's with Claire?" Andy asked, noticing the redhead slink away. "Is she okay?"

Allison shrugged and kissed Andy's cheek in an attempt to distract him. Andy chose to forget the topic and walk Allison to her next class, despite Claire's attitude still puzzling him.


	3. Chapter 3

"I haven't seen Claire all day," Andy remarked, sitting at lunch with Brian and Bender. "Do you guys know where she went this morning?"

"Allison was the only other one up when we left, and I think she went back to sleep right after." Brian replied with a shrug.

He sounded calm, which said a lot for Brian. Sur, he acted calm most of the time, but Andy could always hear the tension in his voice. He'd learned to recognize all his nervous habits, like biting skin of his lips until they bled or cracking his knuckles. Despite the mannerisms making Andy worry, though, it was strange not to see them. Unnerving, almost. It was as if someone else entirely was controlling his body. Andy coughed nervously and folded his hands on the table.

"I'll bet you ten bucks she ditched to go shopping again," Bender joked.

"I wouldn't count on it. All the friends she _would_ ditch with sort of left her in the dust after that weekend in detention."

"I'm sure she's fine, Andy, don't worry." Brian smiled sympathetically.

"Oh, sure. That coming from the King of Worry himself. 'No, I can't do that, I'll get in trouble!' 'If I don't study five hours a day I'll die!'" Andy mocked angrily. "But as soon as one of the people you're _dating_ goes missing, there's nothing to worry about! Good old reliable Brian, only ever worried when it's _his_ ass on the line!"

Brian was taken aback. He froze solid for a moment before he started chewing on his lip. It didn't take long before he started tasting blood.

"Why don't you shut the fuck up?" Bender demanded. Andy raised an eyebrow. "You heard me, fuckass. What gives you the right to make Brian feel like shit? For once in his life he doesn't feel like _killing himself_ and you feel the need to fuck that up. And for what? Because he looks out for himself?"

"Well would it kill him to look out for _us_ once in a while?"

"Yeah, it probably would! Just like it'd kill me to try and look out for my stupid mom!" Bender was on his feet now. "Look, Sporto, I get your dad puts a lot of pressure on you, but you don't have the right to say anything when you don't get what we get at home."

"Uh, fellas, can we calm down a little?" Brian asked nervously, glancing around at the people staring at the scene. "You guys don't have to fight."

"I think we've established that we all have shitty parents, Bender. Get over yourself and move on."

" _At least your parents love you!_ " Bender yelled. " _Even just a little bit!_ "

The entire cafeteria went silent, all staring at Bender. The last person they'd ever expect such an outburst from. Andy sat in rigid silence, the color drained from his face in horror. Brian stood up calmly and walked Bender out of the cafeteria, leaving Andy sitting alone. All eyes shifted to him. He laid his head on the table, humiliated. Minutes passed. Slowly the noise returned to the cafeteria. He didn't move, though, until his suddenly felt a hand touch his shoulder.

"Andy?" Claire asked softly.

"Jesus, he's such a fucking asshole," Bender muttered to himself, pacing around the hallway.

Brian sat on the floor quietly, leaned up against the wall of lockers. He hated when the group fought. Everyone always split into sides. He always had a hard time picking sides because everyone made good points. This time, though, it seemed he was on Bender's side by default. Or maybe Bender was on his side... It was too hard to tell. He knew Andy was right, though. Even when he was worried about something other than himself, it all seemed to come back to whether or not he would get in trouble. At the same time, though, Bender was also right. Even though there were similarities between Andy's father and Brian's parents, Andy still had his mother, who really did love him. They'd all met her, so they knew. Neither of Brian's parents loved him really. They just loved his potential and that was it.

"I'm so pissed," Bender huffed. "I just need to hit something."

"You can hit me if you want." Brian said.

Bender stopped dead in his tracks. His gloved hands twitched slowly into fists and he shouted towards the ceiling, punching himself in the face over and over. Brian panicked, scrambled to his feet and ran to the other boy, grabbing his arms and pulling them down. Bender's expression softened ever-so-slightly.

"Oh, God, I'm turning into my dad!" He yelled, pulling away from Brian and slamming his head into the wall of lockers.

"Hey, knock it off!" Brian cried, trying and failing to pull Bender back.

Eventually they both sunk to the floor in exhaustion. Minutes of silence passed.

"Don't ever say something like that again." Bender huffed.

"You aren't your dad, Bender." Brian reminded him.

Bender refused to turn around. He kept worrying he'd turn around and Brian would be gone, and he didn't want him to leave. Even if they weren't talking, it felt a little bit better just to know he was there. Just minutes before the bell rang, he did slowly turn around. Brian was still there. Slowly, he leaned towards Brian and pressed his lips gently to his. Brian was shocked. For such an aggressive person, Bender was a surprisingly soft kisser. He didn't break away. A gloved hand moved up his neck gently, holding just below his ear. The kiss lasted for a good three minutes, then the bell rang and they immediately broke apart. They held eye contact for a few seconds. Brian jumped to his feet.

"I gotta go to class," He said quickly, and ran off.

Bender smirked slightly and got to his feet, walking in the opposite direction.

Back in the cafeteria and quite a few minutes in time, Andy and CLaire sat together consoling each other. Andy had explained Bender's outburst, which prompted Claire to justify her absence, which in turn sent the two into endless tizzies of self-hatred. At the moment, Claire was facedown on the table, sobbing.

"I'm such a horrible girlfriend!" She cried, muffled by the table. "I didn't even try to stand up for myself or for her... I just let her walk away without saying a word... She probably thinks I don't care about her at all!"

Claire had come up from the table and was shaking Andy's shoulders and yelling in his face. Andy waited for her to calm down before pulling her into a comforting embrace. She laid her head on his shoulder.

"You're not a bad girlfriend. We're gonna talk this out with Allison and she'll understand. She's very forgiving, you know that." Andy said quietly. His voice was strained. He'd been yelling a lot that day.

"You think so?" Claire asked, looking up and rubbing her eyes.

"I know so." Andy kissed her forehead reassuringly.

"What about you? If you talk it out with Brian and John I'm sure they'll understand you didn't mean what you said. You were just scared."

"I don't think it'll be that easy, Claire." Andy ran a hand through his hair. "This is Bender we're talking about. He's not exactly known to 'forgive and forget'."

Claire squeezed Andy's hand in an attempt to comfort him. The bell rang and they walked to their English class together. Allison already sat in the back. Andy signalled for Claire to wait a minute and sat down in the seat beside Allison. A minute later Claire entered and sat timidly on Allison's other side. She smiled nervously and Allison sunk down lower into her seat, tugging her her parka hood over her eyes. Claire looked frantically at Andy, who shrugged and gestured back towards Allison. Claire thrust her hands into the air, demanding an explanation, but was just met with another shrug. She rolled her eyes and huffed in frustration before leaning towards Allison and placing a firm hand on her shoulder. She immediately pulled away when Allison flinched. She pursed her lips and looked back up at Andy. He mouthed "softly". Claire nodded and slowly returned her hand to Allison's shoulder. She didn't move this time.

"Um, Ally," Claire spoke gently. "I'm sorry about this morning. John's right, I'm a coward and I fucked up. I should have said something." Another nervous glance at Andy met with a nod.

"I shouldn't even be mad," Allison admitted quietly, poking her head up. "You couldn't have done anything, really. We're gay girls. We should be used to it by now."

"I just don't want you to think I don't care about you, Ally. You're one of the most important people in my world and I wish I was able to prove it to you."

Allison bit off a piece of her thumbnail and scraped it across the inside of her cheek with her tongue. She turned to Claire and smiled softly.

"I think you just did." She said, reaching under the table for Claire's hand.

Claire grinned and pulled Allison into an embrace. When the bell rang Allison separated from the hug and took Andy's hand in her other. The three sat linked together all period. Andy was glad that Claire and Allison managed to make up so fast. Of course, perhaps it was mainly because neither of them were really in the wrong. As for him, though, making up with Bender and Brian was sure to be a different story.


	4. Chapter 4

_/Just a quick warning before you proceed, there's a bit of suicide talk near the end of this chapter!/_

By the time the final bell had rung and the last class dismissed, Andy was determined to find Brian and Bender before his father came to pick him up. If not to make up, to at least talk. When Allison had heard about what happened, she was all set to back him up, so when Andy left the school he left with two girls in tow, amping him up the way his teammates did before a wrestling match.

"You think they'll be together?" Andy asked, fists clenched in determination.

"Most likely." Claire confirmed, holding onto his shoulders.

"Where?"

"Try under the bleachers. That's where John usually hangs out anyway."

Andy quickened his pace and speed-walked to the football field, Claire and Allison running alongside him. He rapped on the metal bars with his first as though he were knocking on a door.

"Brian?" He called. "Bender? You guys here?"

No response. The trio circled the bleachers and ducked beneath them, continuing their search. Not a minute later they found what they were looking for, but in a rather surprising spectacle. Bender was leaned up against one of the back beams, his arms around Brian's waist. Brian leaned into Bender's chest, standing on his tip-toes to reach his face. They were kissing.

"Should we maybe come back and try another time?" Allison asked softly.

"We can hear you, you know." Bender said. "It's a real boner-killer."

Brian gagged and jumped away, casting a quick nervous glance at Bender's crotch, relieved to find nothing there.

"Hey guys." Brian coughed, tugging at his shirt collar.

"Can I talk to you two for a minute? About earlier?" Andy asked.

"What's to talk about? You're perfect and we're self-absorbed and you want to rub our faces in it some more?" Bender spoke sarcastically through clenched teeth.

"Uh, Bender, I think he's trying to apologize," Brian muttered.

"Oh, thank you _so_ much for clarifying, Bri, 'cause my pea-sized brain couldn't have possibly figured that out by its fuckin' self."

"How do you do that?" Claire asked, stepping forward." How do you go from kissing and loving and defending him to beating him down so fast?"

"You and I do the same thing." Bender pointed out. "What's the manner? Can't take me sharing your treatment with others?"

"Brian's not going to defend himself! Our relationship works because I fight back!"

"I don't know if I'd call that 'working', Princess."

"Oh, fuck you!" Claire thrust her middle finger at Bender. "Either way this is about you and Andy, not me."

"Alright, fine. What d'you want?" Bender returned to Brian's side and grabbed his hand. Brian blushed.

"I'm trying to apologize. I think we both said things we regret today, and I want to move past it. Last night was really nice and I don't want to spoil that for all of us." Andy spoke steadily, trying not to let his nerves edge their way into his voice.

"For the record, dickweed, _I_ don't regret anything _I_ said." Brian elbowed him. " _However,_ since you do, and we're all a big dumb fuckin' relationship, I'll accept your apology. If for no other reason than you assholes being the only mediocre thing in my life."

Brian nodded in approval.

"Thank you, Bender. I can respect that." Andy grinned.

"Yeah, whatever. Get outta here and tell your old man I said fuck you."

After a short exchange of goodbyes, Andy was off. Claire stayed behind a while and the four of them sat under the bleachers.

"I'm proud of you, John. I was worried you'd just push us away. Holding grudges doesn't do any good." Claire said.

"Oh, I'm holding grudges, alright." Bender scoffed. "I accepted his dumbass apology, that's all. Never said I forgave him."

"You always have to be difficult, don't you?"

"What, you don't love it?"

"You're a piece of shit."

"Yep."

Soon enough, Claire headed home too and left Allison, Brian, and Bender under the bleachers to watch the early sun start its descent beyond the horizon, turning the sky a shade of cotton-candy pink to color in the clouds. Allison leaned against Bender's side and nestled her head into the crook of his neck. Brian curled up into his other side, entwining their fingers. A feeling of contentedness filled Bender's chest and warmed him in the cool evening air. He closed his eyes and managed to relax for a while. It was nice to share solitude sometimes. Sure, he usually killed time after school with his daytime friends, but none of them understood him like his detention partners. What Brian liked to call the "Breakfast Club" was the closest thing to comfort he had. Things got awkward and uncomfortable when his other friends didn't have anything to talk about, but with the Breakfast Club they could sit for hours and not say anything. Plus they all used him like a pillow, so he got to use up to four other people as blankets.

"Are we gonna stay here all night again?" Brian asked suddenly.

"Why? You got somewhere to be?"

"Well, not unless I go home, but I get sick real easy and if we're gonna sleep outside we should get coats and blankets. I don't want to get pneumonia or anything."

"We can go to my house if you guys want. No one'll even know you're there." Allison offered.

"Ah, you two go ahead. I had plans tonight anyway." Bender said through a yawn.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Get outta here."

The remaining trio got up, stretched, exchanged goodnights, and split up. Bender walked across the football field and Allison led Brian back to her van. They pulled out of the parking lot and drove to her house in silence. They walked in to an empty house and a note taped to the door.

 _Working late. Dinner's in the fridge._

 _Mom & Dad_

Allison crumpled up the note and walked Brian up to her bedroom. It was a clutter, but an organized clutter. There were piles on the floor all in designated spots. Jackets in one corner, boots in another. Dirty clothes piled over what might've been a hamper. Leggings on a shelf on the wall. Skirts in another corner. Allison sat down on her bed and patted the space next to her. Brian sat and folded his hands in his lap, tapping his foot nervously.

"So," Allison breathed after a few minutes. "You hungry? You wanna watch TV or something?"

Brian shrugged.

"Do you?" He asked.

"Alright, what's all this about?" You're being more wishy-washy than normal. You clearly don't want to go home, you haven't been freaking out about your homework all day, what is this?"

Brian sighed and lay back on the bed. Allison turned to face him. He shut his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"I'm, uh... I'm thinkin' about killing myself again. I skipped out on my sister last night and if I go home now I'll never get to leave the house again. I'm only happy with you guys. I realized that last night and I... I'm scared... That if I go home I'll try again and maybe I'll succeed." He sighed.

"Brian,"

"So I'm just trying to stay away from home as long as I can. The farther away I am the less likely I am to try, right? I just... I like being with you guys. I like being happy."

Allison lay on her side next to him and gently wrapped her arms around him. Her arms were warm. Brian could feel her heart beating steadily. He could feel his heartbeat matching hers. His breathing matched hers, too. They lay there together as the minutes passed and the room gradually got darker. Soon she reached over and kissed his cheek softly. He turned to face her and pressed his lips to hers. Their kiss was softer and didn't last nearly as long as his and Bender's, but it was just as nice. In a different kind of way.

"You're worth living. You're worth whatever it takes to keep you alive." Allison whispered. "You can stay with me forever if you need to."

"I love you," Brian whispered back.

Allison didn't need to say it back. They both knew she felt the same. The two teenagers snuggled up against each other and fell asleep, feeling warm and safe in each other's company.


	5. Chapter 5

_/I finally finished the next chapter! Quick warning, there's a teensy bit of a sex scene at the end of this one. Not explicit in the slightest, but it does happen./_

 _BREAKBREAKBREAKBREAK_

Brian woke to the sound of rustling in the corner. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. Allison was pilfering through a pile of skirts in the corner. She turned when she heard him move and smiled.

"Morning!" She said. "Don't mind me, just looking for a skirt."

"Y'know, it might be easier to find what you're looking for if you had a clean room," Brian mumbled, getting to his feet.

"That, my friend, is a matter of opinion. I have a system, see? Aha! There it is." Allison pulled a plaid, black and grey flannel skirt from the pile triumphantly. She stood and pulled it over her leggings. "Let's go."

Allison pulled the sleepy Brian down the stairs and into the kitchen, where she sat him down and proceeded to fix them two bowls of cereal. Brian marvelled silently at her energy. She seemed to operate in a different time frame. Maybe it was because she fell asleep in class so often that she just had this infinite supply of energy constantly being replenished.

Minutes later, as the two teens sat at the table in silence, Allison's parents emerged from their own rooms. Allison fixed them each breakfast as well, them not even acknowledging her existence. Her father opened the morning's paper while her mother seemed to stare right through Brian. Minutes passed and then suddenly;

"Who're you?" Mrs. Reynolds asked. It was like she'd only just realized he wasn't supposed to be there.

"He's a friend, Mom." Allison said before Brian could open his mouth. "Don't worry about it."

"What's he doing here?"

"He came over to study last night and fell asleep."

"...Well alright. Nice to meet you then."

Mrs. Reynolds returned focus to her breakfast with no further questions. Brian was shocked. If the situation had been reversed Allison would have been on the curb and Brian in a fresh grave before he could get one word out. He looked at Allison and gestured to her parents silently demanding answers. She shrugged and sat beside him, proceeding to dig into her breakfast. Brian decided to drop his questions until later. They satin silence for a bit until Mr. Reynolds closed his newspaper and stood up, putting his dishes in the sink. He kissed his wife's cheek and ruffled his daughter's messy hair and was out the door without a word. Mrs. Reynolds followed shortly after, leaving with a "Have a good day, dear."

Allison really wasn't kidding when she said her parents ignored her. Brian watched as she washed her parents' dishes, humming absentmindedly.

"Doesn't it bother you?" He asked finally. "You're like their maid. They don't even thank you."

"Mmh, a little." Allison shrugged. "They're just busy. Tired a lot. I bet if they worked less they'd pay more attention to me. It's alright though. I've got you guys."

She tilted his chin up, kissing him softly. He blushed and scratched the back of his neck.

"C'mon," She said. "We're goin' to Andy's."

"Wh-what about school?" Brian stuttered.

"Oh, one day won't kill us."

Brian hesitated a moment, studying Allison's outstretched hand. He bit his lip and took it. Running out the door with her. They ran down the block and to the next neighborhood over, not stopping until they'd reached Andy's house. Allison knocked on the door and Andy's mother answered.

"Oh, good morning Ally! Brian! What are you doing here so early?" She asked.

"We came to walk Andy to school, if that's alright" Allison said, holding Brian's arm as he panted from the run.

"Why, of course! I'll go and get him." Mrs. Clarke paused. "Brian, dear would you like a glass of water?"

Brian coughed and wiped sweat from his forehead.

"No thank you..." He wheezed.

Mrs. Clarke disappeared from the door and was replaced by Andy seconds later. He pulled his backpack on and stepped onto the porch.

"Bye, Mom!" He called, closing the door behind him. "Well, this is unexpected. Nice to see you two, though."

"Don't worry, we're not going to school." Allison said, sensing the confusion in his voice. "We're going back to my house."

"Yeah, that makes more sense." Andy kissed both of their cheeks. "Gonna call Claire and Bender?"

"Duh."

When they got back to Allison's house they did just that. Bender was shocked that Brian agreed to cut school but agreed to come over immediately. Claire was worried about getting detention again, to which Allison replied that she had it covered. Which was a lie. She agreed to come over anyway, though. Bender arrived first to an unlocked door and Andy, Allison, and Brian sprawled out on the couch.

"Well? What's the plan?"

"Dunno yet," Allison shrugged.

"We're gonna watch a movie." Brian said.

"God, you guys are so boring. I was expecting a gangbang."

"Gross," Andy snorted.

Bender flopped down on the couch beside him.

"What movie?"

"Ferris Bueller's Day Off," Brian replied.

"It seemed appropriate." Allison followed.

Shortly after Claire arrived and they started the movie. They managed to get halfway through before she suddenly turned around.

"Does anyone here want to have sex with me?" She asked, voice shaking a bit.

Bender raised his hand. Andy smacked him.

"Where did _that_ come from?" He asked.

Claire's face flushed and she looked down nervously.

"I've just been thinking a bit, y'know? Last night I said to myself 'Claire, you've got four whole partners now. How long are you gonna stay a virgin?' And I don't think I want to be a virgin anymore."

"And you want one of us to..." Andy trailed off, cheeks turning red. Claire nodded.

"Well, yeah. You should do it with someone you love, shouldn't you?"

Bender got to his feet.

"Well, it's been fun." He took Claire's hand and pulled her to her feet. "Princess."

The two ran down the hall together. Andy lept off the couch and followed them.

"Stay out of my parents' room!" Allison shouted. "I've got condoms in the top left drawer!"

Brian looked at her, appalled, as she slid off the couch to be level with him.

"Why?" He demanded.

"Just in case." She shrugged. "So, you're not interested?"

"Ugh, no. Never." He shuddered at the thought.

"I thought you were ashamed about being a virgin."

"I was, but I sorta figured I will be forever. The world may not be okay with that, but I think I am. Sex just... Grosses me out for some reason. I don't ever want to do it." He scratched his head. "What about you?"

Allison shrugged.

"Mm. Maybe someday. I don't really care."

"Heh. Well, I hope they're quiet at least."

 _BREAKBREAKBREAKBREAK_

It actually took quite a while for the remaining trio to get started. Proceeded by Andy making absolutely sure that Claire wanted to do this. Then the boys figuring out how to put on condoms. Then unexpected nerves from Bender and the other two making the surprising discovery that he was a virgin, too. They ended up having to give him a bit of a pep talk to convince him he could do it. Eventually, Andy ended up taking charge. He took Claire's face in his hands and kissed her softly all over. She was the only one still dressed and he slowly changed that. Bender sat off to the side, watching awkwardly.

"What should I do?" He asked. "You can't have all the fun."

"Get behind her," Andy said. Bender obliged. "Last chance to back out. You're sure about this?"

"Oh, just go already." Claire whispered against his lips, leaning into his arms.

"Alright." Andy nodded at Bender.

Bender wrapped his arms around Claire, running his hands up her torso and kissing her neck. He lifted her up and carefully sat her on his lap. She bit her lip.

The sex was slow and passionate, and luckily Allison and Brian didn't hear anything and were able to watch their movie in peace. Andy somehow knew exactly what to do and made sure it was done. He was very gentle with Claire and Bender, Bender primarily because he was just really confused. They were the only ones who talked; Claire just enjoyed their company in happy silence, occasionally giggling at Bender's questions of "What do I do?" and "Like this? Is this right?"

How Andy knew so much was lost on both Claire and Bender. As far as they knew he was a virgin, too. Maybe he was just a natural expert. Whatever it was, he was good at it. They finished happy and a little sleepy.

"I love you guys," Claire murmured happily.

 _BREAKBREAKBREAKBREAK_

"The movie's been over for an hour. Should we check on them?" Brian asked.

"Sure, knock yourself out."

Brian hesitantly went up to Allison's room and knocked on the door quietly. He waited a minute for a response and when he received none he opened the door.

"Hey guys, the movie's over, did you wanna do something else?" He stepped inside and flipped on the light. "OH GOD YOU'RE ALL NAKED!"

Claire, Andy, and Bender shot up in the bed as Brian darted back downstairs as fast as his legs would carry him.

"Well," Claire said. "That was fun."

 _BREAKBREAKBREAKBREAK_

 _/There you go! I hope that was alright. I've never really written anything like that before and I hope it wasn't out of character or anything. I think I did alright. Thanks for reading! Next chapter as soon as it's written!/_


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